Southern California -- this just in

Giants fan in coma; $10,000 reward offered in search for men who beat him at Dodger Stadium

April 3, 2011 | 7:57
am

A $10,000 reward has been issued for information leading to the arrest of those who severely beat a Giants fan at the end of the Dodgers home opener Thursday.

The reward was offered by Supervisor Mike Antonovich and comes as the Los Angeles Police Department released sketches of the suspects.

The victim was identified as a Santa Cruz paramedic, the father of two. Bryan Stow, 42, hit his head on the pavement during the attack and is in a medically induced coma, family members told the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

"He's not doing too well," brother-in-law David Collins told the paper. "He's still unconscious, and they just decided to put him in a medically induced coma. They are hoping the brain swelling will go down, but it hasn't, and they are talking about removing one of his frontal lobes."

The Los Angeles Police Department released sketches of two suspects in the attack.

"The man suffered a serious head injury during the assault after the game,'' said LAPD Sgt. Sanford Rosenberg, watch commander at the Northeast Station.

Rosenberg said the victim was one of three Giants fans who were attacked in the parking lot by the two unidentified men wearing Dodgers clothing. The apparently unprovoked attack occurred about 8:30 p.m. in Parking Lot 2 when two assailants approached three victims in Giants apparel.

The two men attacked the three victims, kicking and punching them and shouting expletives about the Giants as they delivered the blows, Rosenberg said.

The incident was witnessed by several fans, he said. The assailants fled as people tried to assist the injured man, he said. Police said the incident was captured on security-camera video, and witnesses have provided details about the assailants, including a distinctive tattoo.

A Dodgers spokesman said the team was taking the incident seriously.

"It is extremely unfortunate that this incident took place on what was otherwise a great day at Dodger Stadium for tens of thousands of fans. We're committed to having the most fan- and family-friendly environment in baseball and will continue to make that a top priority," said Josh Rawitch, the Dodgers' vice president of communications. "We are cooperating fully with authorities during their investigation and we wish this fan a speedy recovery."